Field fence-making machine



(No Model.) C 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. B. GROSS.

FIELD FENCE MAKING MACHINE. No. 334,514. Pateinted'Jan. 19, 1886.

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(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. B. GROSS.

FIELD FENGE MAKING MAGHINE.

-N0. 334,514. Patented Jam; 19, 1886.

M im/ 1/ weZflCTosq UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' SAMUEL B. cRoss, or WELLINGTON, KANSAS.

FIELD FENCE-MAKING MACHINE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,514, datedJanuary 19, 1886.

Application filed July 7, 1884. Serial No.137.068. (No mode To all whom,it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. CRoss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wellington, in the county of Sumner and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Field Fence-MakingMachines, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the ac companying drawings.

My invention relates to field-machines for making slatted or picketfences, in which the slats or pickets are supported at regular intervalsby means of wires'or runners twisted together so as to bind upon theslats and hold them in place; and it consists in the features moreparticularly hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to similarparts in all the figures, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machineembodying my improvement, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same,showing the fence in course of construction.

A indicates a suitable truck or carriage, which in this instanceconsists of a rectangular frame mounted upon the two wheels A A at thetwisting or slatting end of the machine, and on a caster-wheel, A at thereverse end, so that it is easily turned and handled during locomotion.

About midway of the truck-frameA a vertical frame, B, is constructed toreceive the power or driving mechanism of the machine. This mechanismconsists of a driving sprocketwheel, 0, on one side of the verticalframe and mounted on a shaft, 0, which is fixed in suitable journals,cc, rigidly attached to the upright beams B and B of said verticalframe. This shaft 0 has a crank, 0', attached to one end, by means ofwhich the requisite driving-power is applied.

Between the uprights B and Bare mounted three sprocket-wheels, O, G",and G which are mounted on the pipes or hollow spindles D, D, and Dofthetwisting mechanism, and

I by any suitable means which act as shafts for wheels by means of powerapplied at the crank 0 and through the medium of said chain belt. Intransmitting a uniform motion to all of the sprocket-wheels, G, and G alike motion is consequently imparted to the twist ing-tubes or hollowspindles D D D, as said sprocket-wheels are mounted thereon. Thesetwisting-tubes D, D, and D are constructed ofgas-pipe, and have on theirrearward eX- tremities cross -pieces d, which are rigidly bolted theretoand act as supports for the sheaves or pulleys d, mounted therein. Thesehollow twisting-tubes can be so arranged by screw-threading theirfeeding ends to be removed, it necessary, from their bearings, and thesprocket-wheels mounted upon them.

The wires or runners 1 and 2, which can be stretched through the tubesto another post or fed from suitable reels, are threaded through thehollow spindles D, D, and D and passing through holes (1 in saidspindles pass over the sheaves d in the cross-pieces (Z. By thisthreading a double twist is given to the wire by the power applied atcrank 0 and transmitted through the chain belt and the sprocket-wheelsmounted on said spindles.

By means of the pulleys or sheaves d an easy riding motion is given thewire runners, and hence the movement of the machine is not retarded, andat the same time a double twist is given the said runners, and thusinclosing the pickets or slats rigidly.

Two rectangular frames, F and F, are fixed to the truck A and verticalframe B, extending a short distance beyond the truck-frame A, and act asa support or seat for an adjustable lever or spacer, G,which by adrawing of its handle or pull-rod g the slats or pickets are tightenedin the wires, and being spaced as desired, by means of the holes 9 andpin g in the rectangular frame, the machine by the striking of the'saidlever against the slats is moved forward the required distance to re-'ceive a second slat, and so on during the process of building the fence.

Suitable braces, a, b, and I), are attached to various parts of themachine to render it unyielding to any strain, and thus make it durable.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The wires are threadedthrough the hollow spindles and over the sheaves or pulleys, and

being fastened to a post or reels they are stretched and ready toreceive the slats. After a slat or picket has been adjusted by insertingit between the wire runners, power is then applied to the crank c by theoperator, and through the medium of the driving-wheel C and chain belt Emotion is transmitted to the sprocket-wheels 0, C and G mounted on thehollow spindles, the said chain belt being so arranged over thespindlewheels 0, O", and C" that a like turn or motion is given to eachspindle, and consequently a like twist is obtained, all simultaneously,thereby rigidly holding the slat in an upright position, and at thistime the same operator brings the lever or spacer G into action and themachine is driven forward the requisite distance and another slatapplied and the runners again twisted, and so the operation goes oncontinuously until the fence is completed.

Heretofore these classes of machines have been of a stationarycharacter, involving a complicated series of mechanisms and unsuited forportable purposes; but the lightness and simplicity of construction ofthis device render it of a valuable nature, though pecuniarily of slightcost. An operator to the machine and one to place the slats is allthatis required by this device.

It is obvious that two spacing-levers can be used and operated in thesame way and also that any number of wire runners can be adopted,according to the number of spindles. By my device, also, any width ofslat or picket can be used by means of the adjusting-lever.

Having thus described my invention, what I. desire to claim as new, andsecure by Let ters Patent, is-

l. In a fence-making apparatus, a movable carriage, parts of afence-making machine mounted thereon, and a spacing-lever pivoted uponthe movable carriage and operating, when forced against a picket, tocause the movable carriage to travel the distance required for theinsertion of a picket, combined and adapted to serve with supportingposts or reels and with wires stretched between, as set forth.

2. The combination,with wires 1 Zand their sustaining posts or reels, ofa movable carriage, A, the framework B, the shuttle-spindles D D, andtheir actuating-gears, mounted on said carriage, and the spacing-leverpivoted on the carriage and operated, when forced against a picket, tocause the carriage to move the distance designated for the insertion ofa picket, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL B. CROSS. \Vitnesses:

PHILIP HOFELD, It. HARPHAM.

